Wherein I get pelted with snowballs for your entertainment

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From my family to yours:
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it starts black, but I promise a great video is there ... just push play :D
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Back after the Christmas break ... happy holidays!
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Wish I Knew Wednesday

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Today's Wish I Knew Wednesday is pertaining to securing your documents.

There are lots of options -- I've heard of e mailing your manuscripts to others, printing them out, saving them on a disc or thumb drive.

All fine options.

But there's a better one -- and it's free!

Mozy.com

Now, I'm not at all affiliated w/ Mozy -- get nothing from recommending them other than the satisfaction of helping a friend.

Mozy.com allows you to back up 2 gb of data for free. If you choose to back up more, it is only $5 a month (I happily paid that).

Why?

Well, Mozy will do automatic back ups of your work several times a day. I never have to remember to back up my work, my e mail, my blog -- Mozy does it two or three times a day every single day.

It's super easy, too. Just go to Mozy.com and sign up for a free account (you can always upgrade later). Their site walks you through everything, makes it super understandable and starts immediately. If your computer crashes for any reason you don't have to pay for expensive data retrieval. Mozy has it all for you.

No more worries.

Tell Me do you Mozy? What is your manuscript protection plan? Have you thought about the importance of this? Have you ever lost manuscripts? Who out there is hosting their own Wish I Knew Wednesdays? Let's share our knowledge and help each other out :)
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What We Will Say

Time is an interesting thing.

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It passes.

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And we will be five or ten years older down the line if we like it or not.

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What does this have to do with writing?

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Everything.

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Where will we be in 10 years? Because, I promise you this. The time will pass. I used to say to my husband back when he was in graduate school (he chose a long road - 4 years undergrad, 4 years grad and 4 years specialty training) Anyway, I used to say, "Look, you're going to be 35 some day anyway. You might as well be 35 doing what you want to do instead of 35 saying I wish I hadn't given up."

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No, that is a miserable place to be.

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Right now, sitting here in my office, I am thinking back on the last 8 years of writing and saying the same thing to myself.

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What if I had given up at three years in when that agent said my writing was 'familiar' (code for overused, played, not exciting)

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What if I had given up at five years in when that editor said there's just no market for historical middle grade

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What if I had given up at seven years in when that beta reader said (and I swear this is what she said) why would anyone read this tripe when they could be reading Twilight?

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Those times (and many others) were painful and discouraging. I doubted myself and my writing.

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But I didn't give up.

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And it doesn't really matter how long our journey is. It doesn't matter if you get that contract in two years or if it takes you twelve.

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What matters is that when we get to that future place and look back on our lives, we say

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I didn't give up, even when I was discouraged.

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We say,

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I learned something. I made a few friends. I kept writing.

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We say,

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I did it.

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What say you?

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51 Prizes....Who Are the Winners?!?!

You read that right. The total number of prizes from yesterday's blog party is 51!! 35 party guests = 35 CD's, then 8 $5 gift cards and 3 $20 gift cards and 5 treat packages.

That's 51 ** I love it!

How to get your CD: I've personally burned a CD for each of you. It contains 12 fun Christmas songs ... a cast of pop stars from my hey day in the 80's. Just e mail me your address and I'll pop it in the mail to you straight away. (yes, even you across the pond Yunaleska!). Hope it brings a smile to your face.

The other winners were determined using Random.org. I wish I could give everyone an additional prize, but I just let the numbers fall where the cosmos wanted them and they are:

8 Barnes and Noble $5 gift cards: Jackee, Karen, Paige, Tamika, Paul Greci, Scott, Lady Glamis and Wendy

3 $20 Amazon.com gift cards: Cindy, Crystal, Lynette

5 treat packages: Stephanie McGee, Kristen Torres-Toro, Tina Lee, Amy and Joyce



Congratulations to all the prize winners. Please e mail me your address at tesshilmo(at)comcast(dot)net and I'll get them out to you pronto. Hey - I don't keep addresses from past blog contests so if you have won a prize in the past, I don't have your address. Please send it again.

I will do my best to keep it all straight, but if you don't hear from me then feel free to let me know. Also, I'm hoping to have this all wrapped up this week so I can move on to Christmas cards and such for my family. So, don't delay!

final disclaimer: If anyone does not send me their info in the next week to two, you forfeit your prize. I wish I had time to track you down and send multiple requests, but with 51 prizes, it isn't really feasible. I want to give you your prizes ... so please follow these rules. I know you understand :D
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thanks for joining me in the celebration, writerly friends. It was fun!

Party Closed

Thanks to all who came out for my blog party today. I'm following the rules and closing it out w/ Sarah's comment since it is 6:10 here. Check back tomorrow for details on how to get your free Christmas CD and also for a list of our winners!!!!

Come On Over for a Blog Party!

ignore the Sat dec 5 date...crazy-wierd blogger! party going on today Mon 12/7!
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Welcome to the party .. we've been waiting for you.

What are we celebrating?
A contract!! Wahoo! With A Name Like Love sold to Farrar, Straus & Giroux, look for it Fall 2011
And, today's blog party is all about my personal writing numbers

Key numbers along my journey correlating to key prizes and goodies for you!

a bit of pre-party business: in order to win any of the prizes below, you must be an official follower of this blog and must leave a comment on today's thread. Party ends at 6:00pm Mountain Time. Sorry, but I will have to be firm on this time deadline. Please feel free to invite actual friends, but don't post this link on any of the free or give away public forums (that just takes the fun and fairness away from it all). Don't worry, by the end of this post, that last rule will make more sense. Prizes will be determined by a random drawing and announced tomorrow (except the last prize...which is explained later in this post)

And the numbers are....

8 this represents the number of years that I worked consistently on this writing thing. It also represents the number of our first prizes to be given away -- Italian Sodas (in the form of a $5 Barnes and Nobles gift cards to 8 lucky winners...you can really get a soda in their cafe, or use it towards a book). That takes care of our drinks for the party.

3 this represents the number of completed novels I wrote before selling one. It also represents how many people will be getting a copy of my favorite book released this year - The Help by Kathryn Stockett (a fantastic must read...this will be talked about at many-a-conference for years to come as an example of excellent characterization, I am sure) -- prizes given in the form of a $20 Amazon gift card (so you don't really have to get that book, but I'd recommend it). This covers the entertainment portion of our gig today.

5 this represents the number of months my novel was on submission. It also is the number of people who will be receiving a collection of my favorite treats: Swedish fish, five gum, York peppermint patties and whatever catches my eye at the store. The treat combo pack will be mailed to you. This takes care of our party food.

So we have drinks, entertainment and treats....what's missing?

oh, yeah one more thing.....

LOTS - this 'number' represents YOU -- the amazing people I have met through blogging. The supportive comments along the way telling me not to give up when a rejection landed in my mailbox or not to feel discouraged when my work got a less than favorable review. You all encouraged me, supported me, laughed with me and reached a *virtual* hand out when I hinted life was less than peachy from time to time. So, in honor of YOU, my final gift is the element of party music.

Everyone who is an official follower of this blog and who leaves a comment before 6pm Mountain Standard time (up to the first 100 commentors..if it ever gets there but just in case) will receive


a CD of my favorite Christmas songs.


wa-hoo!!! That's right -- you get a CD!!! (up to 100 cd's OR 6pm, whichever comes first)


So, we have drinks, treats, entertainment and music.....it's my way of saying thank you.

sincerely, from the bottom of my heart. Your input and friendship is appreciated and this exciting turn of events would mean far, far less if I didn't have you all to share in the celebration :D
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Party on!
(final note: don't forget to check back tomorrow for a list of our prize winners and details on how to actually get your free cd of my favorite Christmas music!)
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Wickedly Wonderful News on a Wednesday

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I'm trying to think of a clever way to say this, but I'm all giddy and jumpy and I just can't hold it in

so I'll blurt it out and hope you'll forgive the sloppy presentation.

Steven (super-duper cool agent dude) sold my novel With A Name Like Love!

It will be published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux (Macmillan) and is slated to come out in Fall 2011 (eons and eons away..but I'm not complaining)

Now, pretty pretty please put this coming Monday (Dec 7th) on your calendar to check back in because I am cooking up a rockin' blog party to celebrate. There will be prizes, treats, music, dancing (well, I'll be dancing here)

I promise a good time for all.

Now excuse me, I'm off to celebrate by stealing candy from the kids treat bucket and watching trashy TV. That will have to do until Friday night when we can get out as a family to properly celebrate.
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Wa-hoo!!!!!!!!